April's chapter meeting is going Virtual!

The Building Science of Exterior Elevated Elements

Lessons learned from the Berkeley balcony collapse. Senate Bills 721 & 326 Inspections

Skip Walker - Presents

Live! - via Zoom

In 2015 a balcony collapsed four stories from an eight year old apartment building in Berkeley. Thirteen UC Berkeley students were on the balcony. As of now, seven students have died. 

On September 17, 2018, Senate Bill 721 (California Health & Safety Code § 17973), the "Balcony Inspection Bill" or "Elevated Exterior Elements (E3) Bill,” was signed into law for apartments. This law went into effect in January 2019.

On August 30, 2019, Senate Bill 326 (California Civil Code § 5551) was signed into law for condominiums. This law went into effect in January 2020.

These laws and building code changes were in direct response to the Berkeley apartment complex balcony collapse in 2015. 

These bills are separate laws for multifamily apartment buildings and condominium buildings. Senate Bill 721 applies to apartment buildings and property owners. Senate Bill 326 applies to condominium buildings and HOAs. The laws are very similar; however, there are differences. The specific requirements for each type of building will be detailed in the presentation.

State laws and building codes are now in effect for multi-unit buildings with exterior elevated elements that are located more than six feet above the adjacent grade, such as balconies, decks, or stairways. Owners of these properties must hire a licensed professional to perform a safety inspection and submit an inspection report. The deadline to complete the first safety inspection is January 1, 2025.

Skip Walker of Walker Property Evaluation Services provided expert analysis in the Berkeley balcony case. Skip lives in the SF Bay Area and has performed over 5,000 paid inspections since 2003. Skip is both a CREIA Master Inspector (MCI) and an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI). Skip is an ICC Certified Residential Combination Building Inspector and a F.I.R.E. Certified Inspector. Skip is the past education chair for the Silicon Valley ASHI/CREIA Chapter, past SV ASHI Chapter president, CREIA State Secretary, 2011 and the CREIA Region Three Director 2009-2015. Skip is Co-Author of Code Check and has written around 30 published articles. He has provided presentations a number of times at both CREIA and ASHI chapters, conferences and educational events. He has represented the Home and Property Inspection profession at both CAR and NAR conferences.  

DATE/TIME: 

Tuesday April 23

6:30-8:30 p.m.

WHO:

All are welcome to join in the camaraderie, fellowship, and fun of our chapter meetings.

LOCATION: 

Zoom

COST:

$10 per person

Prepay using ZELLE to [email protected]

Once you email me confirming payment has been made, you will receive a zoom link to join the meeting